Details: A development group headed by former Chaska City Administrator David Pokorney and local builder John Klingelhutz this month won approval for a 24-bed senior assisted living and memory care facility nestled along Bluff Creek in Chanhassen.

A site plan, rezoning request and conditional use permit were granted Aug. 12 by the Chanhassen City Council for Bluff Creek Cottages, located near the border with Chaska in Carver County.

As its name implies, the one-story building will be nestled along the bluffs of the creek, which runs through the northeast portion of the 8.9-acre site. The developers said they’d be willing to donate that portion to the city, which would create a connection between two adjoining publicly owned parcels for future use as continuous greenway running along the creek.

“People should have the right to go in there,” Pokorney, now owner of the Community Asset Development Group, told the city’s planning commission. “[The land] really has little value once we develop our property,” he added, although it would be valuable as a public amenity.

A senior care facility was chosen for the “challenging” site after other types of uses, such as townhouses, were rejected. Twelve of the 24 one-room units would be set aside for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, while the structure would utilize high-quality building materials such as cultured stone and paneling along its main body.

Financing for the project has been assembled and construction is expected to begin next month, Pokorney said.

Don Jacobson is a freelance writer in St. Paul. He can be reached at hotproperty.startribune@gmail.com.

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